Andy's family away from family...

Oi todo mundo!

How are guys? Im great overall! Gosh Im super ancy to recieve that package its going to make a lot of people smile! And to hear about your adventures with politics! This week really had its ups and downs...Sad to say that ALexandre and his family were not baptized...its just not their time quite yet...Alexandre wants a little more time to think about everything and is feeling like he is just not quite ready...Is really great that he is seriously thinking about this decision and knows how important it is and he has made it real clear to us that he wants to be baptized for the right reason and wants to stay active in the church...Im really happy that that is his goal...This is probably one of my most complicated cases to help someone start to walk on the road that leads to true happiness. His situation he proclames to us is coomplicated but in reality Im starting to think that it is really simple. All he needs a spirtitual push and trust in the Lord that things will turn out alright if he does his part. His wife Neves is all prepared and excited to be baptized but she wants to be baptized with her family so that it will be memorable experience as a family. The Kids Maria and Arthur are loving the church and making lots of friends but are in the same boat as their dad. THey want to make sure that this is want they really want. This week we are going to help them a lot to recongnize the answers they have recieved and that sometimes we have to take a leap of faith and then comes a huge response to our questions our to conquer a fear we could say that is stopping us from ahceiving a goal or having a memorable experience. I love this family very much, and i said complicated case becuase i dont think ive ever thought so much about a pesquisador or what i could do or say to them to help...I know that things will turn out right in the end with help from the Lord. Gosh everytime I have taught this family and seen how much happier they are today becuase of the Gospel just strenthens my testimony even more of the gospel and how it blesses families. IM so grateful for everyday that ive to share this message and for the blessings i have recieved in my life and in my family. I hope you guys have a great week! Plz continue to pray for this family! Love you all! Elder M. HOwell

Another great week!

Oi Todo mundo! beleza?!

This past week was a good one. Last Pday I forgot to mention that we had dinner plans that
night with an awesome family we are teaching. That night was a hoot! hehe ALexandre who is the
father of the home asked us if we knew how to make anything delicious. I and my amazing cooking skills
top ramen, cup noodles, scrambled eggs, easy mac etc...said that maybe it would be better if he´d let my
companion cook, but he insisted on me cooking...he wanted to eat something american! I suggested
hamburgers is an easy thing to do, reseonable easy thing but in the end we decided, i decided to cook
something a learned here in the mission, Pizza Rice which i learned from my companion Elder Iglezia. Its
really simple and delicious. We are teaching this family with a member who has been a huge help and great influece to this family. His name is Diogennys and we didnt know that he was the boyfriend of Maria de Lourdes which is Alexandre daughter who is 15 years old. One day we were walking in the street and he came out of nowwhere and asked if we were teaching his girlfriend! what a coincidence right! Since then we have been invited more to visit Alexandre and his wife Neves who we first started teaching as we met her one afternoon knocking on doors...Before we knew it this family really loved our company and the lessons
we taught to them and they have gone to church two weeks in a row now. We had a really special night with them sharing how much the gospel blesses families sharing the  family proclamation to the world. We challenged them to be baptized this coming Sunday the 25th!!! They all accepted! This week is going to be a week focused on them to make sure they are prepared for an unforgettable sunday. they were really impressond well Alexandre especially that their son Artur who is 17, is enjoying these things the church and stuff as he never had interest. Plz pray for this family. I couldnt be happier for them....My recommendation to you all if you dont have the family proclamion to the world hung up in your home, it would be really awesome to do so, or if you havnt read it recently...please read it...it took 8 years to make this proclamation...each word was placed by revelation...I love you all, have a great week!

Elder M. Howell

Andy dreams in Portuguese...and he's as happy as he's ever been!

Im very happy to know that our family seems to be doing well spiritual wise, as it seems Dana gave a super talk and you as well, its always spiritually refreshing to just bear your testimony. Any day that im really feeling down in the dumps, when i bear my testimony to somebody im reminded of how much the gospel means to me and my rickety old Fusca (volskwagon bug) engine turns into a Porshe engine. I hope you guys are doing well physically also. I heard about the flooding in Hawaii. I hope Madison is alright.
Im very excited to hear about all the mission calls coming in back home. Seems like the roll of calls to Brazil as ended...That just fortifies my testimony even more that each call really is personal and its not just like oh he is from washington, lets send him to Brazil. I really do believe now that there are specific people waiting for a specific missionary.

Hey so about my diary, sorry that it has not arrived yet, its going to take another month or so...I have a couple more things to write in it...It should be ready in May...I have a couple favors to ask for....I hate to ask but my brazilian buddies would like a couple things...My son would love to have a english hymn book...and two more rubix cubes would be awesome as here an original cube is the equivalent of 30 bucks back home. I swear i will make this order worth your while. I cant tell you how much these things will mean to them and how much more it mean to me...I will work my butt of when i get home. The other things i want to ask for might be a little pricey.i dont know you cant buy the cheapest possible. My buddy Elder Ricardo is the biggest soccer fan in the world! one morning he woke me up at 5 to play soccer with him!!! He and I would like a soccer jersey from the team REAL SALT LAKE as for him he would never ever find a jersey like that anywhere here in Brasil....Thats all i ask for and i swear i will send you guys my journal asap! Oh and i was wondering if Brian and Jeanne got my letter also the Saxtons???

I dream about you guys quite often and its quite interesting hearing you guys talk in Portugues...almost all my dreams are in Portuguese is the craziest thing! I never thought that i would be able to speak another language like i am, Ive learned that anyhting is possible with lots of effort. Ive realized how much time ive wasted in the past. I dont think im ever going to game again...seriously....well maybe just a little but im definalty not going to as much as a used to...THere are SO many other things im going to learn to do, like Piano for example...ANyways I dont think ive ever been happier in my life for other people than now. We have baptized someone i know will be a leader in the church. Last week I also recieved a letter from one of my first baptisms, Jefferson or Goiaba his nickname who told me how much his life has changed since his baptism and how much he desires to serve a mission this coming year in WASHINGTON if he had the choice!

I love you guys so much for the support.
Elder M. Howell

New Bag of the Mission

More details about Andy's best week ever...

Oi todo mundo!!!!

Like I promissed i will try to give all the details i can as possible about my last week and this past week which were just super duper awesome in this short amount of time. So last sunday we had one of the best baptismal meetings i have had in my misison. We have a new leader of the missionary work. HIs name is Irmao Marcos and he is a not so recently returned missionary but he isnt like super old or anything he looks like he is in his thirties, anyways our other leader was Irmao José who is a pioneer of the ward and he is ancient! He was an awesome leader and always met with us every wed night to talk about our investigators and he would always tell the most random vague jokes like from popsicles you know and Elder G. Oliviera and i  would just look at each other like WHat...and he would be laughing by himself irmao Josè...His son jonthan just left for his mission a couple weeks ago to Goiana there in Minais Gerias the state of my companion! HIs son is quite the character! he always talks like hes anouncing things becuase that what he used to do for his job drive around in this van with a amp and mic and yell out advertisements! When he would say the sacrament prayer it was hard not to laugh...im sorry...anyways our new leader Irmao Marcos set up a really good meeting. The releif socity sung to Iraildo and Larissa especially to Larissa Ivy´s sister welcoming her and us missionaries we sang the opening hymn which could of used more practice...haha. After Iraildo and Larissa left the water and changed closed we watched a clip of Togehter forever a short gathering of clips about the plan of salvation in the sacrament room. Everybody was so quiet watching this film and the spirit was really strong there. Gosh i just couldnt be happier with the members who particpated in this baptism and how they made Iraildo and Larissa feel so welcome. Last week on Tuesday we brought a surprise to them! We made a little banner of three photos for Larissa of her baptism and a cool acrlyic cup for Iraildo. THey really enjoyed the presents. Im really happy for Larissa and how much she has progressed as she was strugling to come to church on her own without a ton of help from Ivy and her mom Irma Fatima. But on the day of her baptism she came all by herself and that just really made our day as she showed she had her own desire to come. Yesterday was one of the best testimony meetings of my mission as Ivy and Iraildo bore their testmonies on how much they have been moved by the gospel. I cant tell you how great testimony meetings are to missionaries. Its like a power up to us, rejuvenation. Everyday we receive so many no´s from people who dont want anything to do with us but each testimony born yesterday reminded how important this work is and how much of a difference it can make. So its definatly worth taking a million no´s for one yes...I couldnt believe that right after Iraildo was confirmed a member he went right back up in front to bear his testimony. I have a feeling he is going to be great example to many in this ward! I just couldnt be happier for these people and for all the support i recieved when i was preparing myself to leave for the mission becuase i was reminded how much of a difference support makes and means to others. Im so happy for this ward and im super excited to cotinue working here with my ``filho``buddy Elder G. Oliviera. WIth have a ton of hope for this transfer. We have a very special family we are teaching. ALexandre, Neves., Maria and Artur and we recently found out that Maria´s boyfriend is a member! That is awesome! We are going to visit them with him. IN Fact we are going to visit them this wed night as they invited us for dinner!!! Well I love you all a ton and continue to thank you all for the letters and support! Have a great week! Abraço, Elder M. HOwell

Vitor and I!
A member who helps us a lot!

 

The new group of our home! Elder Clawson arrived!

Larrisa, Iraildo and Irma Fatima